I have my eye on doing a half-marathon in September, but I am no runner. I'm going on the assumption that I'm proper fit (which I am) and that millions of people do it (many of them not proper fit), so it can't be that hard.

Having not run (for running's sake) in well over a decade, I started a couple of weeks ago with a gentle 5k run in which I found I have no running 'style' whatsoever, as I didn't know what to do with my arms (swing them, keep them still, what?) and which left me far more knackered than a road TT for instance, not to mention tight in the hamstrings.

Kept at it though and have since been out every other day and am now running 7k with ease and recovering quickly.

At the start of this week though, I ran 7k on my normal route, but did it much faster than I have before, about 7 mins faster. I didn't consciously run quicker, but I have no computery thing and I'm pretty rubbish at judging my speed, even on the bike. Since then my knees, groin and thighs have been in a world of pain whenever I've been walking, although I don't feel it on the bike. Went out today, deliberately slowly and had to stop halfway as my thighs felt really heavy and my groin was just stiff and sore.

I'm careful to stretch before and after, but maybe I'm not doing the right kind of stretching. 7k doesn't seem far but have I started too quick, given I'm not a runner?

My short-to-medium term plan is to be comfortable at 10k, then go running with a neighbour of mine who runs a lot, as I figure having someone to set the pace and keep me right will help to build up comfort at increasing distances, and I figured I'd be there maybe by the middle of this month, but at the moment I just hurt. Played football with my 5 year old the other day and my pensioner-like movement allowed him to do me for pace, which I was not amused about!

I swim regularly, and a normal riding week sees about 200 miles on and off road, so I don't think I'm lacking fitness, but this pain all of a sudden has kind of thrown me, so I'm looking for knowledge, tips and advice from anyone who runs as well as rides.

Cheers!

Common bit of advice is only to increase 10% a week – that can be distance or pace but not both.

Whilst your cardio fitness is undoubtedly more than sufficient, your muscles/tendons/etc take time to get used to the pounding.

So knock it off for a week and build up more slowly after that, even though you'll feel as though you could easily be doing more.

Oh, and your quads (& maybe glutes) are probably tight from all the cycling so particularly focus on stretching them.

It sounds to me like you have just built up a bit quickly. As long as you dont have specific "injury" type pain, and it sounds more general soreness then I wouldnt worry too much, rest for a few days and build up again a bit more slowly.

Running a 1/2 in Spetember is no big deal given the level of training you are attmepting already!

Once you feel better start to mix up your sessions and add longer slower runs to shorter faster/variable speed runs.

Wondering if my shoes are a factor too? They're generic nike air runing shoe things I bought cheap maybe 10 years ago for general gym/squash type stuff, doubt they're a proper running shoe.

10yrs!!! I would suggest changing them. Nike air range are fine but any shoe more than a couple of years old is likely to have degraded quite a lot

With regard to style, again I wouldnt worry, the more you run the more efficient you will become.

If they are that old all the cushioning will be knackered get some proper running shoes and get fitted for the way you land (over/under pronation)

+1 for new decent shoes. And think about joining a club, there are huge benefits to learning from others.

Google "half marathon training plan"…there are loads out there. Runners World is a good start. Which HM? Bristol? 🙂

Slow down, you move too fast…Aim to be running comfy 10k's by mid July, then start running further start by doing 8 miles then 10 miles, and I wouldn't honestly train more than a couple of times a week at that distance.

New shoes is good advice too.

i can run (but choose not to) and do not train if i do run. (e.g. the marathon thread) just go steady and use your arms. They are important. Don't know why but they are…. trust me.

Also, look after your feet. Get decent shoes so you dont blister because theres nothing more demoralizing than having to stop because of foot pain or having to work through it knowing you have a long way to go

good luck 😀

Good shoes are vital – get a professional (i.e. good running shop) to fit you up. They'll find what brand fits (each one is different for fit) after looking at your gait. Get it wrong and you risk knee and foot trouble.

Nikes are generally not well regarded but some are okay.

Highly recommend Asics for road and light off road, Inov8 for more serious off road.

I've got Asics Kayano 16s for road, Trail Sensor 2s for light off roading and Inov8 Mudclaws for hideous conditions – all work brilliantly and fit perfectly – but might not be right for you.

Gradual training advice above by nickc is extremely good – heed it!

Before you out spending loads of money on fancy running shoes read this first.

Fact is there is no scientific study that indicates any of the modern running shoe technology works.

Not this again…

75% of folk naturally run heel first, some 24% of folk run mid sole, and a teeny tiny 1% run on tippy toes. Stands to reason you'll see more injuries in runners that heel strike, the key to this is run in a way that is injury free, and comfy for you.

All the above is good advice. You haven't said whether you are reducing your riding and swimming if not I would to allow for the running. Also are you cooling down properly in the running and the riding/swimming. It's important to not just stop and cool down slowly to allow the lactic acid to reduce within the body as that contributes to the muscles aching the next day. That is probably why you hurt after the increased pace and increased lactic acid build up. You said your not very good at judging pace so I would get a heart rate monitor and workout your heart rate zones and make sure your not spending to much time in the anaerobic zone (in the anaerobic zone your bodies producing more lactic acid than it can get rid of). You'll need to do that for the running, swmming and biking with all the training your doing. I'm sure someone will come along and say heart rate monitors are a waste of time but just a few beats per minute can make a massive difference and the longer or the more you train the more you'll notice the difference. I could only run for 30-40 minutes and I was completely wasted, started using a heart rate monitor and it changed over night as I was running in anaerobic zone all the time.

I have a very complex training programme – I run 2-3 times a week 90% off road as fast as I can.

Been running two years and placed top ten in national events (top 5 twice) several times – the riding fitness really helps.

Don't complicate it – just keep it simple and run!

Ran the Leeds 1/2 marathon in May…..no training at all.

Finished in 1:47.

Just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everybody else, we are all different and as the op is having problems something isn't right.

Surf mat – what are these national events you speak of?

how fast are you running 2tyred?

as a suggestion: 5mins per kilometer (8mins per mile) for a nice steady pace.

how old are you?

at the creaky old age of 32, it takes me a day or 2 longer to recover from a hard run than it used to.

running is hard, especially if you're not used to it. if i ran your 7k route, it'd probably take me about 35mins, knocking 7mins off it in one go would ruin me for days.

what you're feeling is perfectly normal; rest, stretch, walk, rest. you'll be fine.

after a really good fell race, my legs will feel like they've been smashed with mallets, and i'll find stairs very painfull – especially down.

Pay attention to your running style or you WILL eventually pick up an injury of some sort. I'm bike fit and can and have beasted my legs running – top 5 in most fell races I have entered however I had no running technique (one foot in front of the other, right?) and ended up screwing my legs up! Fast forward 3 months, 1 1/2 months with no running, I am now back running now with a more efficiant and conservative technique. Don't get to carried away with cushioning/stability etc with your running shoe. Try getting hold of a copy of Chi Running by danny dryer alot of good pointers to look at. Enjoy. 😆

This is all good stuff guys, thanks!

Think shoes are definitely worth looking at – I wouldn't do a big ride in crap shoes (well on the road bike anyway) and I guess its more important for running.

5 mins per k is probably about what I've been doing, apart from the mad fast run the other day (which honestly didn't feel that much faster) so that's good to know I'm on the right lines.

I'm 36, but probably fitter now than any time since my mid-teens.

Heart rate monitor is probably a good shout to keep an eye on how hard I'm going rather than trying to work it out by time.

Could swim a bit less I guess, but bike miles won't come down.

Think I'll lay off til next week, give my aches a chance to ease.

2tyred – I run then cycle in alternate days (plus weights) and it seems to work okay but I do ditch both when I surf (similar to swimming!) like today. And yesterday. And Monday. TBH your body should tell you if you're overdoing it.

Paul – sorry but I won't be taking the bait this time. Jog on.

you may be fitter now, but you're still an old ba5tard. rest is important for old giffers like us.

and as Mat points out, rest doesn't have to mean 'do nothing' – you've run your legs off, but you don't have to stop swimming/cycling/gym.

a gentle spin out on the bike usually does my fell-race legs a bit of good…

Surf mat – what are these national events you speak of?

XC Nats presumably, i can't think of any other explicitly national events, unless he's a track runner. Either way, that's phenomenal off two or three runs a week Surf-Mat – maybe you should try more specific run training and win something big.

Nope – I'd get too skinny and I don't want to do that.

By national I mean they have entrants from all over the UK rather than just little local events. All have been off road.

When i started running, i ached for days after a rub as my muscles weren't used to the impact, so along with decent shoes and a good cool down/stretch, its important to take it easy to begin with so your body can adjust without getting injured.

The thing that made the biggest difference to me was compression tights – i used to have achey calves after every run, put the tights on over night, and had no pain the next day (and it was like this after every run/ride/weights session when i wore them). Plus they are lovely and slinky too – my LBD of cycling 😆

I did a half marathon in March and i had to decrease my bike miles a lot (to one road ride a week) because my legs weren't recovering from much longer runs in time, although my aerobic fitness was fine. I found a hard bike ride took too much out of me for my longer run the day afterwards i.e up to 20km at 12kph.

I'm just getting back into running after having a tendon injury for 2 months and my physio has got me on a run walk programme. Its interesting to see the difference – usually i'd have just gone out for a half hour run, but now i'm doing 2 mins running, 1 min walking. I have no pain afterward at all which is a big change but i don't feel i am working hard aerobically at all. Even though you are fit, taking it easy to begin with is probably the only way not to get any aches.

The thing I can't really get around is that I find running rather dull. It's just not very comfortable, and all a bit unpleasant!

I've got to a half decent pace, but I can't be arsed to train as I don't enjoy it, would rather just go out on the bike!

njee20, I used to feel that way (without the half decent pace), but now I enjoy it more than cycling a lot of the time. I love being able to just step outside, run silently snickling through woodland paths and across fields, with no faff of needing a working bike, gloves, helmet, glasses, toolkit, camelback etc.

Yes I do enjoy that side of it, and you can nip out for 30 minutes after work or in your lunch hour and get something worthwhile done. I suspect I'd enjoy it more if I was better, but lack the inclination to get better!

Leg transplant may be the order of the day.

njee – do you run on or off road? I find road running pretty dull so I only do it when it's really wet (when off road routes become mud bogs) and to help endurance. Trail running is much more fun and varied – it also adds interval training (sort of) to your routine if hilly.

What I love it being able to run anywhere with only the smallest amount if kit – great for holidays or staying elsewhere. I found running up a down a small mountain range in SW Ireland both stunning and very satisfying (the surf was cr4p!) – hauling a bike over there would have been a PITA! Many other occasions where it's just really nice to be able to run for an hour or so without keeling over. Coast paths are another joy too (can't ride on most in Cornwall – well not officially anyway…)

Just been for a run – I'm a bit hungover from yesterday (birthday) and nearly slipped off a small cliff twice and fell over crossing a stile – DOH!

should not static stretch before running.
dynamic stretch and warm-up.
keep static stretching to its own place and time.

Generally run off road, agree that road is dull!

I can see the appeal of it, and it certainly has massive practical advantages over riding, just doesn't really interest me. It's a shame, as I'd like to do more triathlons, but it helps to enjoy all 3 disciplines!

I used to do a lot of running and did a number of 'national' races. Did the London Marathon etc etc. It just takes its toll on the body and couldn't really stick with it. Got boring as well. Took up triathlon instead and used my swimming skills to good use. I now do less running, but still maintain an interest, plus allows me to do more biking. I've also altered my running style slightly (moved towards mid-foot strike) which means I tend to get injured less, so may do another marathon at some point.

Have done a number of 'national' tris, including some offroad ones (rubbish Endurance Life race included, which I did with Njee).

Oh and avoid static stretching before running as HTTP404 says. Bad news.

By national I mean they have entrants from all over the UK rather than just little local events

You do realise this is meaningless.

All events are "national" using this criteria. A national event is usually an event you have to qualify for. For example running the inter counties cross country after qualifying in the first 8 (ish) in your county champs or the National road relays after qualifying via your local then regional races.

Whatever :roll:- I occasionally race at 10k trail events across the SW.

Results vary from 52nd out of 170 (1st race) to 5th out of 700.

Times vary from 42 mins to 51 depending on the course and distance (they always seem to be much more than 10k… one was 11.5k and I was ruined by the finish line!)

Now surfer – how about surf comps? Competed against Sam Lamiroy in the 1996 SW Champ semis. Funnily enough, he beat me 😆

how about surf comps?

I suspect that would only end in humiliation! 😳